How many days of leave can a doctor certify?
Pick the condition and, if you like, the dates you mean to ask for. The guide shows the leave a doctor usually certifies, the symptoms the application asks about, and the record you will need once a request passes a week.
Leave length guide
Choose a condition to see the leave a doctor usually certifies for it, the symptoms the application asks about, and any record worth uploading.
Two rules every application follows
- Any length can be requested. There is no fixed online limit: you ask for the dates you need and the doctor who assesses you certifies what the record supports, which may be a shorter period.
- A record helps beyond 7 days. A prescription, report or discharge summary can be added, and is optional. With one the doctor certifies the period against it; without one the doctor decides from your history and may certify fewer days.
Typical leave by condition
The same list the application form offers. Ranges are for an uncomplicated course in an adult with desk or light duties; the doctor certifies what the assessment supports.
| Condition | Usually certified | Worth uploading |
|---|---|---|
| Fever and infections | ||
| Viral fever | 2 to 4 days | Your history is usually enough |
| Influenza (flu) | 3 to 5 days | Your history is usually enough |
| COVID-19 | 5 to 7 days | A positive test result, if you have one. |
| Dengue fever | 5 to 10 days | NS1 or IgM report and platelet counts. |
| Typhoid fever | 7 to 14 days | Blood culture or Widal report and the prescription. |
| Malaria | 5 to 7 days | Peripheral smear or antigen report. |
| Chikungunya | 5 to 7 days | Your history is usually enough |
| Chickenpox | 7 to 10 days | Your history is usually enough |
| Mumps | 5 to 7 days | Your history is usually enough |
| Hand, foot and mouth disease | 3 to 5 days | Your history is usually enough |
| Reaction after a vaccination | 1 to 2 days | Your history is usually enough |
| Chest, throat, nose and ear | ||
| Common cold | 1 to 2 days | Your history is usually enough |
| Sore throat (pharyngitis) | 1 to 3 days | Your history is usually enough |
| Tonsillitis | 2 to 4 days | Your history is usually enough |
| Sinusitis | 2 to 3 days | Your history is usually enough |
| Acute bronchitis | 3 to 5 days | Your history is usually enough |
| Asthma flare-up | 2 to 4 days | Your inhaler prescription, if you have one. |
| Pneumonia | 7 to 14 days | Chest X-ray report and the prescription. |
| Ear infection | 1 to 3 days | Your history is usually enough |
| Laryngitis (voice loss) | 2 to 3 days | Your history is usually enough |
| Allergic rhinitis | 1 to 2 days | Your history is usually enough |
| Stomach and digestion | ||
| Stomach infection (gastroenteritis) | 2 to 3 days | Your history is usually enough |
| Food poisoning | 1 to 3 days | Your history is usually enough |
| Acidity, gastritis or reflux | 1 to 2 days | Your history is usually enough |
| Irritable bowel flare-up | 1 to 2 days | Your history is usually enough |
| Severe constipation | 1 to 2 days | Your history is usually enough |
| Piles (haemorrhoids) | 2 to 5 days | Your history is usually enough |
| Jaundice (hepatitis A) | 7 to 14 days | Liver function test report. |
| Bones, joints and injuries | ||
| Low back pain | 2 to 5 days | Your history is usually enough |
| Neck pain or cervical strain | 2 to 4 days | Your history is usually enough |
| Ankle sprain | 3 to 7 days | Your history is usually enough |
| Knee injury | 3 to 7 days | Your history is usually enough |
| Shoulder injury | 3 to 7 days | Your history is usually enough |
| Muscle strain or tear | 2 to 5 days | Your history is usually enough |
| Wrist or hand injury | 3 to 7 days | Your history is usually enough |
| Fracture (simple, in a cast or splint) | 7 to 14 days | X-ray report and the orthopaedic prescription. |
| Minor road accident injuries | 3 to 7 days | Casualty or first-aid record, if any. |
| Gout attack | 2 to 4 days | Your history is usually enough |
| Arthritis flare-up | 2 to 5 days | Your history is usually enough |
| Headache and nerves | ||
| Migraine | 1 to 2 days | Your history is usually enough |
| Tension headache | 1 day | Your history is usually enough |
| Vertigo | 2 to 4 days | Your history is usually enough |
| Mild head injury (concussion) | 3 to 7 days | Casualty record or scan report, if any. |
| Sciatica | 3 to 7 days | Your history is usually enough |
| Mental health | ||
| Acute stress reaction | 2 to 5 days | Your history is usually enough |
| Anxiety episode | 2 to 5 days | Your history is usually enough |
| Depressive episode | 5 to 14 days | A psychiatrist's or counsellor's note, if you are under care. |
| Burnout or exhaustion | 3 to 7 days | Your history is usually enough |
| Insomnia | 1 to 3 days | Your history is usually enough |
| Bereavement | 3 to 7 days | Your history is usually enough |
| Skin | ||
| Skin allergy or hives | 1 to 3 days | Your history is usually enough |
| Skin infection (cellulitis) | 3 to 7 days | Your history is usually enough |
| Boil or abscess | 2 to 5 days | Your history is usually enough |
| Shingles (herpes zoster) | 5 to 10 days | Your history is usually enough |
| Scabies | 2 to 3 days | Your history is usually enough |
| Fungal skin infection | 1 to 2 days | Your history is usually enough |
| Eyes | ||
| Conjunctivitis (eye flu) | 2 to 4 days | Your history is usually enough |
| Stye | 1 to 2 days | Your history is usually enough |
| Eye strain | 1 to 2 days | Your history is usually enough |
| Scratched eye (corneal abrasion) | 1 to 3 days | Your history is usually enough |
| Teeth and mouth | ||
| Toothache or dental abscess | 1 to 3 days | Your history is usually enough |
| Recovery after tooth extraction | 1 to 3 days | The dentist's note or bill. |
| Women's health | ||
| Severe period pain | 1 to 2 days | Your history is usually enough |
| Pregnancy-related nausea | 2 to 5 days | Your history is usually enough |
| Recovery after early pregnancy loss | 5 to 14 days | The hospital or clinic record. |
| Urinary | ||
| Urinary tract infection | 2 to 3 days | Your history is usually enough |
| Kidney stone pain | 2 to 5 days | Ultrasound or CT report, if done. |
| Blood pressure, sugar and blood | ||
| High blood pressure episode | 1 to 3 days | Recent blood pressure readings. |
| Diabetes: low or high sugar episode | 1 to 3 days | Recent glucose readings. |
| Anaemia with symptoms | 2 to 5 days | Haemoglobin or CBC report. |
| Heat exhaustion | 1 to 2 days | Your history is usually enough |
| After a procedure or surgery | ||
| Recovery after a minor procedure | 3 to 7 days | Discharge summary or procedure note. |
| Recovery after appendix surgery | 10 to 14 days | Discharge summary. |
| Recovery after cataract surgery | 3 to 7 days | Operation note or discharge card. |
| Recovery after LASIK | 2 to 3 days | The procedure record. |
| Day of endoscopy or colonoscopy | 1 day | The procedure appointment or report. |
| Other | ||
| Other condition | 1 to 3 days | Your history is usually enough |
Questions about leave length
How many days of sick leave can an online medical certificate cover?
There is no fixed upper limit: you request the dates you need and the doctor who assesses you decides what the record supports. Most common illnesses are certified for one to five days. Beyond 7 days you may add a prescription or report; it is optional.
What changes when I ask for more than 7 days?
Nothing is required. The application offers an optional slot for a prescription, report or discharge summary; with a record the doctor can certify the period against it rather than your history alone, and without one the doctor may certify a shorter period.
Is the typical range a guarantee?
No. It is the range a doctor commonly certifies for an uncomplicated course in an adult with desk or light duties. The doctor who assesses you decides the dates, and may certify fewer days than you requested.
Can the certificate cover days that have already passed?
The certificate is dated on the day of assessment. Leave that began shortly before you applied is recorded as reported by you, and the doctor will not certify dates they cannot assess. Requests more than six months in the past are not accepted.
What if my condition is not in the list?
Choose Other condition and describe it in the application. The list covers the conditions most often certified; the doctor records the actual diagnosis.
Sick leave certificate · Prices and refunds · Documents to prepare